Method of forming a housing for an electronic device

ABSTRACT

A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing can be machined from a single billet of material, such as a billet of aluminum. The single piece housing can include ledges with a surface receiving a trim bead and a cover. Corner brackets can be attached to the single piece housing to improve the damage resistance of the housing.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a divisional patent application of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/018,174, filed Jan. 31, 2011, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,587,939, and titled “Portable Electronic Device,” thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety. This patent application is also related to and incorporates byreference in their entireties the following patent applications:

-   (i) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/018,239 entitled “Flat    Object Ejector Assembly” by Jules Henry et al.;-   (ii) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/018,184 entitled “Antenna,    Shielding and Grounding” by Erik A. Uttermann et al.;-   (iii) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/018,153 entitled    “Components Assembly” by Stephen R. McClure et al.;-   (iv) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/018,242 entitled “Machining    Process and Tools” by Stephen R. McClure et al.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Described Embodiments

The described embodiments relate generally to portable computing devicessuch as laptop computers, tablet computers, and the like. Moreparticularly, enclosures of portable computing devices and methods ofassembling portable computing devices are described.

Description of the Related Art

In recent years, portable computing devices such as laptops, PDAs, mediaplayers, cellular phones, etc., have become small, light and powerful.One factor contributing to this reduction in size can be attributed tothe manufacturer's ability to fabricate various components of thesedevices in smaller and smaller sizes while in most cases increasing thepower and or operating speed of such components. The trend of smaller,lighter and powerful presents a continuing design challenge in thedesign of some components of the portable computing devices.

One design challenge associated with the portable computing device isthe design of the enclosures used to house the various internalcomponents. This design challenge generally arises from a numberconflicting design goals that includes the desirability of making theenclosure lighter and thinner, the desirability of making the enclosurestronger and making the enclosure more esthetically pleasing. Thelighter enclosures, which typically use thinner structures and fewerfasteners, tend to be more flexible and therefore they have a greaterpropensity to buckle and bow when used while the stronger and more rigidenclosures, which typically use more substantial structures and includefasteners, tend to be thicker and carry more weight. Unfortunately,however, the increased weight consistent with the more rugged enclosurecan lead to user dissatisfaction whereas bowing of enclosures formed oflightweight material can result in damaging some of the internalcomponents (such as printed circuit boards) of the portable device.

Furthermore, the enclosures are mechanical assemblies having multipleparts that are screwed, bolted, riveted, or otherwise fastened togetherat discrete points. These assembly techniques typically complicate thehousing design and create aesthetic difficulties because of undesirablecracks, seams, gaps or breaks at the mating surfaces and fastenerslocated along the surfaces of the housing. For example, a mating linesurrounding the entire enclosure is produced when using an upper andlower casing. Moreover, the various components and complicated processesused to manufacture the portable device can make assembly a timeconsuming and cumbersome process requiring, for example, a highlytrained assembly operator working with special tools.

Another challenge is related to techniques for mounting structureswithin the portable computing devices. Conventionally, the structureshave been laid over one of the casings (upper or lower) and attached toone of the casings with fasteners such as screws, bolts, rivets, etc.That is, the structures are positioned in a sandwich like manner inlayers over the casing and thereafter fastened to the casing. Thismethodology suffers from the same drawbacks as mentioned above, i.e.,assembly is a time consuming and cumbersome process.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved component densityand associated assembly techniques that reduce cost and improve outgoingquality. In addition, there is a need for improvements in the manner inwhich handheld devices are assembled such as improvements that enablestructures to be quickly and easily installed within the enclosure. Itis also desirable to minimize the Z stack height of the assembledcomponents in order to reduce the overall thickness of the portablecomputing device and thereby improve the overall aesthetic look and feelof the product.

SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS

A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing devicecan take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and soon. In one embodiment, the portable computing device can include atleast a single piece housing having a surface for receiving a trim beadand a transparent cover, such that the transparent cover is supported bythe housing. The single piece housing can include an integral bottom andside walls that cooperate to form an interior cavity. The exteriorsurface of the housing can have a substantially flat bottom joined bycurved walls. The interior cavity can include a substantially flatbottom portion for mounting battery packs and other components, such asPCB boards. Various structures including ledges, alignment points,attachment points, openings and support structures can be formed in thesidewalls and bottom surfaces of the interior cavity. Ledges around aperimeter of the interior cavity can include a surface for receiving atrim bead and a transparent cover to the housing. In one embodiment,around the perimeter of the cavity, corner brackets can be mounted. Thecorner brackets can be configured to reduce damage resulting from animpact at the corners.

In one aspect, the single piece housing can be machined from a singlebillet of material, such as rectangular block of aluminum, usingcomputer numerical controlled (CNC) machine tools and associatedtechniques. In one embodiment, the single piece housing can be generatedby 1) machining the billet to form an exterior surface of the housing,the exterior surface including curved side walls transitioning into asubstantially flat bottom surface; 2) machining the billet to form aninterior cavity, a portion of the interior cavity substantially flat andparallel to the substantially flat bottom surface; 3) machining thebillet to form interior sidewalls to form ledges that extends from thesidewalls, the ledges including a surface, proximately parallel to theflat bottom surface, for receiving a trim bead and a cover and 4)machining the billet to form support shelves for attaching cornerbrackets to the housing.

In particular embodiments, the corner brackets can be attached to thesupport shelves using an adhesive and a conductive foam to increase astiffness and hence, the damage resistance of the housing to impactevents. The conductive foam can ground the corner bracket to theremainder of the housing to ensure good antenna performance. The cornerbrackets can include a surface for receiving corner portions of a trimbead and a cover. The corner brackets can be installed such that a topportion of the surface on the corner brackets for receiving the trimbead is aligned with surfaces for receiving the trim bead formed onledges of the single piece housing adjacent to the corner bracket. Inone embodiment, the surface for receiving the trim bead on the cornerbrackets can be castellated to increase the strength of the housingproximate to the castellation.

In yet other embodiments, a number of openings can be machined into thesingle piece housing to provide access to the interior cavity from theexterior of the housing. For example, a first opening in the singlepiece housing can be formed to allow a SIM tray for supporting a SIMcard to extend from the interior cavity through and above one of thesidewalls and a second opening in the single piece housing, adjacent tothe first opening, can be formed for allowing access to an ejectormechanism that causes the SIM tray to extend from the interior of thecavity. As another example, an opening can formed in a bottom portion ofthe housing that is configured to receive a logo stack including a logoinsert bonded to a metal sheet. In yet another example, a number ofopenings can be formed in a curved exterior sidewall of the housing toallow sound from a speaker to exit the housing. The holes can bemachined from the exterior to the interior in a direction that is normalto the local curvature of the sidewall.

In yet another embodiment, the housing can be designed such that duringa failure of the cover some structural integrity is maintained. In oneexample, adhesive, such as an adhesive tape, can be applied to a bottomportion of the cover. In the event of a cover failure, the adhesivetape, can hold pieces of the cover together and prevent the cover frombreaking into shards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A shows a top view of a portable computing device in accordancewith the described embodiments.

FIG. 1B shows a perspective top view of a portable computing device inaccordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exterior portion of a housing inaccordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 3A shows a simplified top view of the interior of the housing inaccordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of an interior portion of a housing inaccordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of one corner of the housing inaccordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 4B shows a stack-up for attaching a corner bracket to the housingin accordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of one side of the housing including anunder ledge portion in accordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 5B shows a perspective view of a device attachment featureincorporating a leaf spring as a retaining mechanism in accordance withthe described embodiments.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of one side of the housing including acut-out for an RF antenna window in accordance with the describedembodiments.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show side views of showing a mechanism for coupling thecover to housing in accordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a logo stack-up in accordance with thedescribed embodiments.

FIG. 9 shows a method of forming a housing for a portable device inaccordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an arrangement of functional modulesutilized by a portable electronic device in accordance with thedescribed embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an electronic device suitable for use withthe described embodiments.

DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS

In the following paper, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a thorough understanding of the concepts underlying thedescribed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled inthe art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some orall of these specific details. In other instances, well known processsteps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring the underlying concepts.

This paper discusses an aesthetically pleasing portable computing devicethat is easy to carry with one hand and operate with the other. Theportable computing device can be formed of a single piece housing and anaesthetically pleasing protective top layer that can be formed of any ofa number of durable and strong yet transparent materials such as highlypolished glass or plastic. For the remainder of this discussion,however, the protective top layer can take the form of highly polishedcover glass without any loss in generality. Furthermore, the uniformityof the appearance of the portable computing device can be enhanced since(unlike conventional portable computing devices) the cover glass can bemounted to the single piece housing without the use of a bezel. Thissimplicity of design can accrue many advantages to the portablecomputing device besides those related to aesthetic look and feel. Forexample, fewer components and less time and effort can be required forassembly of the portable computing device and the absence of seams inthe single piece housing can provide good protection againstenvironmental contamination of internal components. Moreover, theability of the portable computing device to successfully withstandapplied loads (such as from day to day use) as well as those from lessfrequent but potentially more damaging events such as being dropped canbe substantially improved over conventional portable computing devices.

In the described embodiments, the single piece housing can be formedfrom plastic or metal. In the case where the single piece housing isformed of metal, the metal can take the form of a single sheet (such asaluminum). The single sheet of metal can be formed into a shapeappropriate for housing various internal components as well as providingvarious openings into which switches, connectors, displays, and so oncan be accommodated. The single piece housing can be forged, molded, orotherwise processed into a desired shape. In one embodiment, a billet ofmaterial, such as a rectangular billet of material, can be machined toform a single-piece housing.

The shape of the housing can be asymmetric in that an upper portion ofthe housing can formed to have a substantially different shape than thatexhibited by a lower portion of the housing. For example, the upperportion of the housing can have surfaces that meet at distinct anglesforming well defined boundary whereas the lower portion can be formed tohave a substantially flat bottom surface. The transition zone betweenthe upper portion having distinct edges and the lower, substantiallyflat portion can take the form of an edge having a rounded shapeproviding both a natural change from the upper portion of the housing(i.e., the area of distinct edges) and the smoother surface presented bythe lower portion of the housing. It should also be noted that inaddition to providing a more aesthetically pleasing transition, therounded shape of the edge in the transition zone can provide a morecomfortable feel when being held in a user's hand either during use ormerely being carried about. One of the advantages to using metal for thehousing is ability of metal to provide good electrical grounding for anyinternal components requiring a good ground plane. For example,performance of a built in RF antenna can be substantially improved whena good ground plane is provided. Moreover, a good ground plane can beused to help mitigate the deleterious effects caused by, for example, ofelectromagnetic interference (EMI) and/or electrostatic discharge (ESD).However, if an RF antenna is present within the housing, then at least aportion of the housing (if metal) is given over to a radio transparentportion.

It should be noted that throughout the following discussion, the term“CNC” is used. The abbreviation CNC stands for computer numericalcontrol and refers specifically to a computer controller that readscomputer instructions and drives a machine tool (a powered mechanicaldevice typically used to fabricate components by the selective removalof material). It should be noted however, that any appropriate machiningoperation can be used to implement the described embodiments and is notstrictly limited to those practices associated with CNC.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to FIGS.1-11. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that thedetailed description given herein with respect to these figures is forexplanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1A illustrates a specific embodiment of portable computing device100. More specifically, FIG. 1A shows a full top view of fully assembledportable computing device 100. Portable computing device 100 can processdata and more particularly media data such as audio, video, images, etc.By way of example, portable computing device 100 can generallycorrespond to a device that can perform as a music player, game player,video player, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer and/orthe like. With regards to being handheld, portable computing device 100can be held in one hand by a user while being operated by the user'sother hand (i.e., no reference surface such as a desktop is needed). Forexample, the user can hold portable computing device 100 in one hand andoperate portable computing device 100 with the other hand by, forexample, operating a volume switch, a hold switch, or by providinginputs to a touch sensitive surface such as a display or pad. The devicecan also be operated while it is resting on a surface, such as a table.

Portable computing device 100 can include single piece housing 102 thatcan be formed of any number of materials such as plastic or metal whichcan be forged, molded, machined or otherwise processed into a desiredshape. In those cases where portable computing device 100 has a metalhousing and incorporates RF based functionality, it may be advantageousto provide at least a portion of housing 102 in the form of radio (orRF) transparent materials such as ceramic, or plastic. An example of ahousing including radio transparent portion is described in more detailwith respect to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6.

In any case, housing 102 can be configured to at least partially encloseany suitable number of internal components associated with the portablecomputing device 100. For example, housing 102 can enclose and supportinternally various structural and electrical components (includingintegrated circuit chips and other circuitry) to provide computingoperations for portable computing device. The integrated circuits cantake the form of chips, chip sets, modules any of which can be surfacemounted to a printed circuit board, or PCB, or other support structure.For example, a main logic board (MLB) can have integrated circuitsmounted thereon that can include at least a microprocessor,semi-conductor (such as FLASH) memory, various support circuits and soon.

Housing 102 can include opening 104 for placing internal components andmay be sized to accommodate a display assembly or system suitable forproviding a user with at least visual content as for example via adisplay. In some cases, the display system can include touch sensitivecapabilities providing the user with the ability to provide tactileinputs to portable computing device 100 using touch inputs. The displaysystem can be formed and installed separately from a cover 106. Thecover 106 can be formed of polycarbonate or other appropriate plastic orhighly polished glass. Using highly polished glass, the cover 106 cantake the form of cover glass substantially filling opening 104. Trimbead 108 can be used to form a gasket between cover glass 106 andhousing 102. Trim bead 108 can be formed of a resilient material such asa plastic along the lines of thermoplastic urethane or TPU. In this way,trim bead 108 can provide protection against environmental contaminantsfrom entering the interior of portable computing device 100.

Although not shown, the display panel underlying cover glass 106 can beused to display images using any suitable display technology, such asLCD, LED, OLED, electronic or e-inks, and so on. In one embodiment, thedisplay assembly and cover glass can be provided as an integrated unitfor installation into the housing. In another embodiment, the displayassembly and the cover glass 106 can be installed separately.

Display assembly may be placed and secured within the cavity using avariety of mechanisms. In one embodiment, the display assembly and thehousing 102 can include alignment points for receiving a fixture. Thefixture can be used to accurately align the display assembly with thehousing. In one embodiment, after the display assembly is aligned withthe housing, it can be secured to the housing 102 using fasteners.

Portable computing device 100 can include a number of mechanicalcontrols for controlling or otherwise modifying certain functions ofportable computing device 100. For example, power switch 114 can be usedto manually power on or power off portable computing device 100. Mutebutton 116 can be used to mute any audio output provided by portablecomputing device 100 whereas volume switch 118 can be used toincrease/decrease volume of the audio output by portable computingdevice 100. It should be noted that each of the above described inputmechanisms are typically disposed through an opening in housing 102 suchthat they can couple to internal components. In some embodiments,portable computing device 100 can include an image capture module 98configured to provide still or video images. The placement may be widelyvaried and may include one or more locations including for example frontand back of the device, i.e., one through the back housing, the otherthrough the display window.

Portable computing device 100 can include a mechanism for wirelesscommunications, as either a transceiver type device or receiver only,such as a radio, portable computing device 100 can include an antennathat can be disposed internal to a radio transparent portion of housing102 In other embodiments, a portion of housing 102 can be replaced withradio transparent material in the form of an antenna window described inmore detail below. In some embodiments, an antenna can be to anunderside of the cover glass 106. The radio transparent material caninclude, for example, plastic, ceramic, and so on. The wirelesscommunications can be based on many different wireless protocolsincluding for example 3G, 2G, Bluetooth, RF, 802.11, FM, AM, and so on.Any number of antennas may be used, which can use a single window ormultiple windows depending on the needs of the system.

The portable computing device can be used on a wireless data network,such as a cellular data network. Access to the cellular data network canrequire the use of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or SIM card. Inone embodiment, the device 100 can include an opening 110 b that allowsa SIM card to inserted or removed. In a particular embodiment, the SIMcard can be carried on a SIM card tray that can extend from a side ofthe housing 102. The housing can include an opening 110 a that allows anejector for the SIM card tray to be actuated such that the SIM card trayis extended from the housing. The openings, 110 a and 110 b, for the SIMcard tray are shown in FIG. 3B.

FIG. 1B shows a perspective top view of portable computing device 100 inaccordance with the described embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1B, portablecomputing device 100 can include one or more speakers used to outputaudible sound. The sounds generated by the one or more internal speakerscan pass through the housing 102 via speaker grill 120. A portion of thespeaker grill can be located on a downward facing side of the housingsuch that a portion of the sound is angled downward. When the device isplaced on a surface, a portion of the sound that is emitted in adownward direction can be reflected off the surface on which a devicehas been placed. The speaker grill 120 can be formed as a series ofsmall holes that are punched through the sidewalls of the housing. Asdescribed in more detail below, the side walls can be curved.

In one embodiment, a bit for punching or drilling the speaker holes canbe orientated such that the holes are machined proximately normal to thesurface curvature at each location. In some instance, more than one holecan be drilled at a time. For instance, 5 holes can be drilled in a rowalong a line of constant curvature such that all of the holes aredrilled proximately normal to the surface. In one embodiment, coverlayers can be placed on the front and back of the housing while theholes are being machined. For example, a stainless sheet can be placedover the exterior surface of the housing and a plastic backing can beplaced over the interior of the housing. The external and internalcovers can prevent damage to the surrounding housing resulting fromchips of material that are generated in the machining process.Generating the holes in this manner can produce a smooth surface wherethe presence of the holes is not noticeable to the touch.

After the speaker grill holes are formed, a protective layer can beadded on an interior surface of the housing that covers the speakergrill holes. The protective layer can be designed to prevent ingress ofenvironmental contaminants, such as water, that can potentially enterinto the interior of the cavity via the speaker grill holes. In oneembodiment, the protective layer can be formed from a hydrophobic fabricmesh that is acoustically permeable to allow sound through the speakergrill 120 while reducing the risk of environmental ingress.

Returning to FIG. 1B, portable computing device 100 can also include oneor more connectors for transferring data and/or power to and fromportable computing device 100. For example, portable computing device100 can include multiple data ports, one for each configuration ofportrait mode and landscape mode. However, the currently describedembodiment includes single data port 122 that can be formed of connectorassembly 124 accommodated within an opening formed along a first side ofhousing 102. In this way, portable computing device 100 can use dataport 122 to communicate with external devices when portable computingdevice 100 is mounted in docking station. It should be noted that insome cases, portable computing device 100 can include an orientationsensor or an accelerometer that can sense the orientation or movement ofportable computing device 100. The sensor can then provide anappropriate signal which will then cause portable computing device 100to present visual content in an appropriate orientation.

Connector assembly 124 can be any size deemed appropriate such as, forexample, a 30 pin connector. In some cases, the connector assembly 124can serve as both a data and power port thus obviating the need for aseparate power connector. Connector assembly 124 can be widely varied.In one embodiment, connector assembly 124 can take the form of aperipheral bus connector. In one embodiment, a connector assembly with30 pins can be used. These types of connectors include both power anddata functionality, thereby allowing both power delivery and datacommunications to occur between the portable computing device 100 andthe host device when the portable computing device 100 is connected tothe host device. In some cases, the host device can provide power to themedia portable computing device 100 that can be used to operate theportable computing device 100 and/or charge a battery included thereinconcurrently with the operating.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exterior portion of a housing 102prior to assembly. The exterior portion can act as a bottom portion ofthe device after assembly. An interior portion of the housing and itsassociated features, which encloses device components such as a displayassembly and main logic board, is described with respect to FIG. 3B. Inone embodiment, the housing can be formed via machining of a singlebillet of material, such as a single billet of aluminum formed into arectangular shape. In FIG. 2, a portion of the billet can have beenmachined to form the general outer shape of the exterior portion of thehousing. In other embodiments, the billet can be cast into some shapethat is closer to the final shape of the housing prior to beginningmachining to produce the final housing shape.

The housing 102 includes a substantially flat portion 144 surrounded bycurved side walls 146. In one embodiment, the housing 102 can have amaximum thickness of less than 1 cm. In a particular embodiment, themaximum thickness is about 8 mm. In FIG. 2, the geometry is provided forthe purposes of illustration only. In different embodiments, thecurvature on the side walls, such as 146, and the area of the flatportion 144 can be varied. In one embodiment, rather than a flat portionjoined by curved side walls, the sidewalls and flat portion can becombined into a shape with a continuous profile, such as conforming to acontinuous spline curve. In yet other embodiments, rather than usingcurved side walls, the side walls can be substantially flat and joinedto the substantially flat portion via a specified radius of curvature.

Openings can be formed in the flat portion 144 and the sidewalls 146.The openings can be used for various purposes that involve functional aswells as cosmetic considerations. In one example, the openings can beused for switches. As shown in FIG. 2, a number of switch openings areformed in the side walls. For instance, opening 136 is for a powercontrol switch, opening 140 is for a slide switch and opening 142 is fora volume switch. In one embodiment, the slide switch can be used toprovide muting control. In other embodiments, the slide switch can beused to control other device features. The size of the openings candepend on the size of the switch. For example, opening 142 can be for avolume rocker switch which can be larger than a power control switch orthe mute control. In one embodiment, the openings can be formed using abit that is orientated proximately normal to the surface of the housing102. Thus, its orientation during machining can vary depending on whatlocation on the side wall is being cut.

In another example, openings can be formed in the housing for externalconnectors. For example, an opening 134 is provided in the side wall foran audio port, such as for a head phone connector. In yet anotherexample (see FIG. 1B and FIG. 3B), an opening can be provided for anexternal data and power connector, such as a 30-pin connector. In oneembodiment, the opening can be cut in a direction that is proximatelyparallel to flat portion of housing, which may not be normal tocurvature of the exterior surface. Closer to the substantially flatportion of the housing 144, opening 138 is provided for a rear facingimage capture device. Near the center of the substantially flat portion,opening 130 is provided for a logo insert. The logo insert can be formedfrom a different material and be a different color than the remainder ofthe housing. Further details of the logo insert including a logostack-up for attaching a logo to the housing are described with respectto FIG. 8.

The housing 102 can be formed from a radio opaque material, such as ametal. In a particular embodiment, the housing can include a cut-outportion for placement an RF antenna window to support one or moreantennas. The housing can include a cut-out for receiving the RF antennawindow 132. The RF antenna window can be formed from a radio transparentmaterial, such as a plastic, to improve wireless data reception for thedevice. In FIG. 2, the RF antenna window is shown an installed positionextending across the side wall and ending proximate to the substantiallyflat portion 144 of the housing. The RF antenna window 132 can be shapedto match the surface curvature profiles of the adjacent sidewalls. Aview of the RF antenna window 132 and surrounding support structure onthe housing as viewed across the interior of the housing is shown anddescribed in more detail with respect to FIG. 6.

In particular embodiments, a device can be configured to access a datanetwork via one or more wireless protocols. For example, using aprotocol such as Wi-Fi, a device can be configured to access theInternet via a wireless access point. As another example, using awireless protocol, such as GSM or CDMA, device can be configured toaccess a cellular data network via a local cell phone tower. A deviceimplementing two wireless protocols, such as Wi-Fi and GSM or Wi-Fi andCDMA, can employ different antenna system, one for the Wi-Fi and one forthe GSM or CDM.

Typically, a component, such as the RF antenna window 132, can be usedto implement a cellular data network connection using GSM or CDM. Toimplement a wireless protocol, such as Wi-Fi, the RF antenna window 132may not be necessary. Thus, in some embodiments, a housing can be formedwithout an opening for the RF antenna window 132. In these embodiments,the housing 102 can extend over the surface where RF antenna window 132is located to conform to the surrounding curvature of the sidewall.Thus, the area where the RF antenna window 132 is located can be formedfrom the same material as the other portions of the housing 102 andmachined in a manner similar to the other sidewalls of the housing.

FIG. 3A shows a top view of a simplified housing 102 showing a cavitywith a front opening for one embodiment. A more detailed perspectiveview of a housing is described with respect to FIG. 3B. In 3A, thehousing 102 can include substantially flat bottom portions 148 a and 148b. The flat bottom portions, 148 a and 148 b, can be at differentheights or a single height. In one embodiment, the flat bottom portions,148 and 148 b, can be substantially parallel with the flat exteriorbottom 144 of the housing described above with respect to FIG. 2. Theflat bottom portions, 148 a and 148 b, can transition into sidewallsthat extend above the bottom of the cavity.

The sidewalls can be undercut to form ledges, such as ledges 156 a, 156b, 156 c and 156 d, that extend into the center of the cavity from thesidewalls. In one embodiment, the ledges can include portions atdifferent heights. The width of the ledges can vary across each side andvary from side to side. For instance, the width of the ledge 156 a canbe thinner than ledge 156 d. A ledge is not necessarily continuousacross a side. In some embodiments, a portion of each ledge can beremoved. In addition, a ledge width is not necessarily constant across aside. In some embodiments, the width of the ledge can vary across aside.

Brackets, such as 150 a, 150 b, 150 c and 150 d, can be placed at eachcorner of the housing. The brackets can be formed from a metal, such asstainless steel. The brackets can be configured to add structuralstiffness to the housing. During an impact event, such as an impact tothe corner of the housing, the corner brackets can limit the amount ofimpact damage, such as damage to a cover glass. The shape of thebrackets can vary from corner to corner. In addition, the simplifiedshape of the brackets is shown for the purposes of illustration andbrackets with different shapes can be used. As is discussed in moredetail as follows, the brackets can be bonded with an adhesive to thehousing. In one embodiment, The brackets can include a surface forreceiving a corner portion of a trim bead and a cover.

In one embodiment, components, such as the batteries, can be disposedwithin regions 148 a and 148 b. For instance, in one embodiment, anumber of battery packs can be bonded using PSA strips to the housing inregion 148 a. In one embodiment, three battery packs can be adhered toflat region 148 a using adhesive that can take the form of adhesivestrips such as PSA. Using adhesive strips can slightly elevate thebatteries and provide room for the batteries packs to expand duringoperation. As another example, in region 148 b, a number of PCBs can beplaced. The number and type of PCBs can vary from embodiment toembodiment depending on the functionality of the device. A few examplesof PCBs that can be secured to the housing in this region include butare not limited to a main logic board, a battery management unit, and/ora RF circuit board. The RF circuit board can also include GPS circuitry.Attachment points can be machined as bossed into the bottom of thehousing to secure device components, such as the PCBs. These aredescribed in more detail with respect to FIG. 3B.

FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of an interior portion of a housing102. Device components, such as a display, processor boards, memory,audio devices can be secured within a cavity formed by the housing. Thehousing 102 can include a substantially flat portion in its center thatsurrounds the opening 136 for the logo insert. As described in moredetail with respect to FIG. 8, the opening 136 can include a recessedledge on which a sheet, such as a metal sheet conforming to the shape ofthe recessed ledge can be bonded to the housing to seal the opening 136.

A number of structures, such as bosses 172 a and 172 b or bosses 174 and176 can be formed on the bottom of the housing. In one embodiment, thebosses can be used with fasteners to secure one or more PCBs to thehousing. For example, the bosses can be used to attach a main logicboard, a battery management unit board and radio board. The number andtypes of boards can vary from embodiment to embodiment. For instance,some embodiments do not include a radio board. Thus, the number andtypes of bosses can vary from embodiment to embodiment. The bosses caninclude structures with apertures that allow a fastener, such as a metalor plastic screw to be inserted. The structures can be formed byremoving material during a CNC based machining process. Attachmentpoints, such as bosses, can also be formed for other components, such asthe display assembly or a Wi-Fi antenna.

The housing 102 can include a number of features adjacent to thesidewalls of the housing and arranged around a perimeter of the housing.One example of a feature is an opening in the sidewall. For example,openings for an audio port 134, a power switch 136, a mute button 140and a volume switch 142, which are described above with respect to FIG.2, and an opening for the data port, which is described above withrespect to FIG. 1B, are also visible in FIG. 3. The openings for themute button 140, 142 volume switch and data port 122 are shown from theinterior side of the housing 102. In FIG. 3B, it can be seen that thereis structure around the opening on the interior side that is differentthan the structure around the openings as viewed from the exterior side.In particular, the exterior surface of the housing around the openingsis relative smooth without sharp edges while the interior structurearound the opening can include steps, ledges, walls and otherformations. As discussed above, the exterior and interior portions ofthe housing can be asymmetric in this regard.

In FIG. 3B, other openings include the speaker hole cut outs 170 asviewed from the interior and the openings for the SIM tray ejectormechanism 110 a and SIM tray 110 b as viewed from an exterior of thehousing 102. The openings for SIM tray ejector mechanism 110 a and theSIM tray 110 b can be located on the curved sidewalls of the housing102. In one embodiment, the SIM tray 110 a and SIM tray opening 110 bcan be configured to allow the SIM tray to eject in a plane that issubstantially parallel to the bottom flat portion of the housing.However, the opening for the SIM tray ejector mechanism and the SIM trayejector mechanism can be configured such that opening 110 a is drilledabout norm to the surface according to the curvature of the sidewallwhere it is located. The ejector mechanism can be configured to receivean implement, such as a straight pin that is inserted normal to thesurface via opening 110 a to eject the SIM tray. Thus, when a straightpin is inserted into the opening 110 a and the SIM tray is extended fromopening 110 b, the SIM tray and the pin can be at angle relative to oneanother.

In particular embodiments, as described with respect to FIG. 3A, theledges do not necessarily extend around the entire perimeter of thehousing or entirely across a side. For example, the housing does notinclude a ledge proximate to where RF antenna window 132 is placed. Inother embodiments that do not include an RF antenna window, the ledgecan be extended into the region that is occupied by the RF antennawindow. In some locations, it would be difficult to implement an installof a component in the presence of a ledge. At various locations,material can be removed such that the ledge at a location is minimal orno ledge is formed. For example, proximate to the openings 140 and 142for the mute button and volume switch, respectively, the ledge can beremoved and a cavity can be formed for receiving the mute button andvolume switch assemblies. The removed material proximate to theseopenings can allow mechanisms for the mute button and the volume switchto be inserted down into the housing such that a portion of themechanisms can be accessible from an exterior of the housing via theopenings. In one embodiment, the housing of a switch assembly installedin this manner can be shaped such that a level surface aligned withadjacent ledges on the sides of the housing is provided after the switchassembly is installed. The level surface can provide support for an itemthat is placed over the top of the installed switch assembly, such asthe cover glass and trim bead.

In particular embodiments, the ledges around the sides can include asurface 154 for receiving a trim bead 108 and a cover 106 that spans thecavity formed by the interior cavity. As described above, the cover 106can be formed from a transparent material. When attached, the cover 106can protect underlying components, such as a display, from damage. Localside views showing the cover 106 and trim bead 108 mounted to thehousing are described in more detail with respect to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

Features, such as apertures and/or recesses can be formed in the ledges,156 a, 156 b, 156 c and 156 d. For example, two recesses 158 can beformed in side ledge 156 d to allow a speaker assembly to be coupled tothe housing. The recesses can include an aperture that allows a fastenerto be inserted to secure the speaker assembly. In another example, arecess 166 can be formed in side ledge 156 d that provides a mountingpoint for a hall effect sensor. In yet another example, side ledge 156 dcan include a number of recesses, such as four recesses 168, that canextend into an upper surface of side ledge 156 d as well as underneaththe side ledge 156 d. In one embodiment, the recesses 168 can beconfigured to allow magnet assemblies to be mounted to the housing 102.The magnet assemblies can be used to secure a cover device that alsoincludes magnets to housing 102.

In one embodiment, a number of brackets can be coupled to the housing102 to strengthen the housing in particular regions. For instance, thedata port opening 122 is relatively large, which can weaken the housingin the area surrounding the opening 122. To strengthen the housingaround the data port opening 122, a bracket 152 can be added above theopening. The bracket can be formed from a material, such as a metal. Inone embodiment, the bracket can be configured to be attached to thehousing, such that it is aligned with the surface 154 for receiving thetrim bead. Thus, a portion of the trim bead can be disposed on abracket, such as bracket 152.

As another example, brackets 150 a, 150 b, 150 c and 150 d can belocated at each of the respective corners of housing 102. The cornerbrackets can be used to improve a resistance of the device to impactdamage, such as impact damage resulting from the device being dropped onits corners. The impact damage can be reduced because the cornerbrackets add stiffness that can reduce deformation during an impactevent. In one embodiment, the brackets can include a surface forreceiving the trim bead 108 that aligns with the surface for receivingthe trim bead formed in the side ledges. In addition, when mounted, thebrackets can extend towards the interior of the housing to form a ledge,like the side ledges machined into the housing 102. Further details ofthe corner brackets are described in more detail with respect to FIGS.4A and 4B as follows.

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of one corner 210 of the housing 102.In one embodiment, the SIM tray mechanism can be mounted in corner 210to utilize openings in the housing 110 a and 110 b shown in FIG. 3B. Onecomponent 206 of the SIM tray mechanism is shown already installed. Thehousing 102 can include apertures 208. The apertures can be used withfasteners to secure additional components associated with the SIM traymechanism.

Corner bracket 150 a extends around corner 210 to join side ledge 156 cand top ledge 156 a. The top and side ledges can be formed byundercutting portions of the housing billet during the machiningprocess. A support shelf at a lower height can be formed beneath theheight of the ledges 156 c and 156 a and the corner bracket. If desired,the support shelf can be undercut like the surrounding ledges. In thecorners, the support shelf for the corner bracket 150 a does not have toextend all around the corner. Material can be removed to allow acomponent, such as the SIM tray mechanism 206, to be installed.

In one embodiment, the corner brackets can be bonded to the supportshelf using a liquid adhesive. A conductive foam can be placed betweenthe corner bracket and the support shelf to ground the metal bracket tothe rest of the structure. Details of a bonding scheme and a stack-upfor a corner bracket are described in FIG. 4B.

The use of strengthening brackets is not limited to use around a cornerand could also be used at other locations, such as between the corners.For example, a portion of ledge 156 c can be removed to allow acomponent to be installed. Then, a bracket that extends just along thisside, as opposed to around a corner, could be used to re-form the ledgeover the installed component. The bracket may possibly strengthen thehousing in the region where the ledge material is removed and replacedwith a bracket. In some embodiments, a portion of a ledge can be removedto form a gap in the ledge, such as to install a component underneaththe ledge. However, the gap may not be filled using a bridging structureand the housing can be utilized with a discontinuous ledge.

In one embodiment, the bracket 150 a can be formed from a material, suchas stainless steel. The shape of bracket can be selected to increase thestrength of the housing in the region where it is installed. As anexample, the bracket 150 a can be castellated in corner 210 to improveimpact damage resistance during a corner drop event. The castellationcan include raised and sunken portions around corner 210. The raisedportions can add additional structure that can strengthen the bracketand dissipate force during an impact event. The amount of castellation,i.e., the number of times the raised and lowered pattern of structure isrepeated can be varied. Thus, the example in FIG. 4A is for the purposesof illustration and is not meant to be limiting.

To provide castellation, bracket 150 a includes a ledge portion 204 athat aligns with a ledge portion on side ledge 156 c. Ledge portion 204a can be followed by a raised portion, a sunken portion and anotherraised portion and then a sunken portion 204 b. The sunken portion 204 bcan be shaped to align with a ledge portion on top side 156 a. Acastellation pattern can be specified by the local geometry, such as alocal height and width of the raised and sunken portions and a number ofraised and sunken portions. These parameters can be varied from designto design.

As previously described, the trim bead 108 can extend around from aledge portion on 156 c onto the ledge portion 204 a on the bracket 150a, over the top of the castellation, onto ledge portion 204 b and thenonto a ledge portion of top side 156 a. In one embodiment, the shape ofthe trim bead can be modified to match the castellation pattern. Forinstance, the trim bead can be thinned where the structure is raised toform the castellation. In other embodiments, if the trim bead can besufficiently thin or formed from a compressible material, a thicknessprofile of the trim bead may not be modified to account for thecastellation pattern around corner 210. For instance, a trim bead with auniform thickness can be used over a structural location withcastellation proximate to corner 210.

FIG. 4B shows a side view 400 and a top view 416 of a stack-up forbonding a corner bracket to a housing, such as the single piece housing102, described above with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3. The bracket 402 canbe bonded to an underlying support shelf 402 in the housing using anadhesive. One or more pieces of conductive foam can be placed betweenthe support shelf 410 and bracket 402 to ground the bracket to the restof housing. In one embodiment, the support shelf beneath the conductivefoam can be laser etched to provide a good conductive surface.

The bracket 402 can be attached to the housing such that a top of thebracket is proximately level with a top height of the adjacent structure404. In one embodiment, to install the bracket, one or more pieces ofconductive foam, such as two pieces of conductive foam can be placed onthe support shelf and an adhesive path 420 can be routed around theconductive foam. In one embodiment, the adhesive can be a liquidadhesive. In a particular embodiment, the liquid adhesive can be anacrylic adhesive.

Next, a bracket 402 can be placed on top of the foam pieces and afixture can be placed over the bracket. The fixture can press down onthe bracket 402 such that the bracket is installed at the proper height,such as proximately level with the adjacent structure 404. Theconductive foam can be loaded when the fixture presses down to push thebracket against the fixture such that the bracket remains at the desiredheight. The adhesive path 420 can be selected and can be laid down underCNC control to wet the bottom surfaces of the bracket and expand as thebracket is pressed down but not extend into the area next to andunderneath the conductive foam. The adhesive can be laid down in thismanner to prevent the adhesive from spreading under the foam such thatit interferes with the grounding capabilities of the conductive foam.

In 416, the support shelf 410 is shown as a continuous structure. Inother embodiments, a portion of the support shelf can be removed. Forexample, a portion of the support shelf can be removed such that twoislands are formed where each piece of the conductive foam rests on arespective island. The bracket 402 can be bonded to each of the islands.

FIG. 5A shows a perspective view 210 of one side of the housing 102across the interior bottom surface of the housing and under ledge 156 con a sidewall. Two recesses 214 can be formed under ledge 156 c. The tworecesses can each include attachments, such as attachment points 212. Inone embodiment, each recess can include two attachments points forattaching a device attachment feature to the housing. The deviceattachment feature can be used to couple a device to the housing 102,such as a cover.

FIG. 5B shows a representation of an embodiment of device attachmentfeature attachment feature 2400 that can be attached to the housing 102.In particular, attachment 2400 can include magnetic elements 2402/shunt2404 in attached to leaf spring 2406. Leaf spring 2406 can be secureddirectly to shunt 2404 by way of fasteners 2408 and end supports 2410 byway of fasteners 2412. End supports 2410 can be attached to a supportstructure such as a housing to provide support for attachment feature2400. In one embodiment, alignment posts 2414 can be used duringassembly to provide alignment for both end supports 2410 and leaf spring2406.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of one side of the housing 220 includingthe cut-out for the RF antenna window 132. The RF antenna window can beconfigured to support one or more antenna carriers within cavities ofthe window. In one embodiment, the RF antenna window 132 can include acavity 162 for supporting an image capture device and/or sensorassembly.

The housing 102 can include a proximately rectangular recess portion inwhich the RF antenna window 132 is disposed. The bottom of the antennatray 132 can be curved to conform to an exterior portion of the housing(see FIG. 2). In one embodiment, the antenna tray can be supported bythe support wall 226 formed in the housing 102. The RF antenna window132 can include a lip portion 222 that hangs over the support wall 226.The lip portion 222 can help to prevent the antenna tray from beingpulled out of the housing. The RF antenna window 132 can be bonded tothe housing using a liquid adhesive. The antenna tray 132 can be bondedalong the lip portion and exterior facing surfaces of the support wall226.

The support wall 226 can include a number of openings, such as openings224. The openings 224 can be aligned with openings in the RF antennawindow 132. The openings can allow wires to be passed through thehousing and into the antenna carrier to reach components in the RFantenna window 132, such as one or more antennas and the image captureand/or sensor assembly.

In alternate embodiments, an RF antenna window 132 and its associatedantennas can be removed. In this embodiment, the support wall 226 can beremoved and the exterior and interior portions of the housing proximateto the antenna location can be formed from the same material as theremaining portions of the housing, such as from a single metal billet.If a image capture device is included at the location shown in FIG. 6,then a image capture device assembly can be attached directly to thehousing 102 rather than the RF antenna window. The image capture deviceassembly (not shown) can be installed on top of a compressible foam. Thethickness of the compressible foam can be selected so that the imagecapture device assembly is slightly pushed against the cover glass whenthe cover glass is installed. The force may help to keep the imagecapture device assembly properly aligned with the cover glass.

FIGS. 7A and 7B shows a side view of showing a mechanism for couplingthe cover to housing. A ledge can be formed on an upper portion of thehousing sidewall. The ledge can include a surface for receiving the trimbead 108. Thus, the trim bead 108, which can be a gasket formed from aflexible material, can rest on the ledge of the housing. As describedabove with respect to FIG. 4, at a number of locations the trim bead 108can be disposed on top of brackets attached to the housing, such ascorner brackets. The trim bead 108 can be bonded to the housing using anadhesive 230 a, such as an epoxy or PSA tape. Then, the cover 106 can bebonded to the trim bead 108 using an adhesive, such as 230 b, around theperimeter of the housing. The trim bead 108 can help form a seal to theinterior of the housing. The seal can help to prevent externalcontaminants, such as moisture, that may be damaging to internalcomponents from entering into the interior of the housing. In addition,the trim bead 108 can raise the cover 106 such that it does not contactthe housing 102, thus, providing cushioning between the housing and thecover 16 that can prevent damage to the cover resulting from the coverimpacting with the housing. In one embodiment, the top of the coverglass 106 can extend slightly 232 about the top height of the trim bead108.

Structure, such as 234, can be located underneath the cover 106. Thestructure 234 can be associated with components located underneath thecover 106, such as the display assembly. Comparing FIGS. 7A and 7B, itcan be seen that amount of underlying structure close to the trim bead108 can vary. For example, FIG. 7B shows a larger gap 236 between thetrim bead 108 and the underlying structure as compared to FIG. 7A. Insome embodiments, when gaps, such as 236, are present, the adhesive 230b, such as a PSA tape, can be extended from between the trim bead 108and the cover 106 and underneath the cover 106 where portions of the PSAtape are bonded to the cover glass but not an underlying surface, suchas the trim bead 108, that can provide cushioning for the cover 106during an impact event.

In this example, the extended adhesive 230 b can act as a safety measureif the cover 106 breaks during an impact event. The cover 106 can beformed from a glass material which can break into shards. The extendedadhesive 230 b can hold the pieces of the broken cover together so thatsmall shards do not break away from the device during the impact event.Thus, the extended adhesive 230 b can serve a function similar to safetyglass which can include reinforcing components that provide a limitedstructural integrity to keep the glass from flying apart during animpact event.

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a logo stack-up 250. The housing 102 caninclude an opening 260 that can be shaped in the form a symbol, such asa logo. In one embodiment, the housing 102 can be less than about 1 mmthick in area sounding the logo. In a particular embodiment, the housingcan be about 0.78 mm thick. Material can be removed from a bottominterior surface of the housing such that a ledge including sides 258 aand 258 b are formed. The ledge can provide a surface for attaching thelogo stack-up 250 to the housing 102.

In one embodiment, an insert 256 can be configured to fit within theopening. The insert can be formed from a material, such as a plastic.The logo insert can be thinner than a nominal thickness of thesurrounding housing. In one embodiment, the logo insert can be about0.59 mm thick.

In particular embodiments, the insert can be opaque to light, such aspainted black, or formed from an opaque material. In other embodiments,the insert can formed from a translucent material. In one embodiment,the translucent material can be configured to diffuse light from aninternal light source, such that the logo appears to be lit when viewedfrom the exterior.

The logo insert 256 can be bonded to a support structure 252 using anadhesive 254. In particular embodiments, the adhesive can be a tape,such as a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape or an epoxy, and thesupport structure can be formed from a sheet of metal, such as a sheetof stainless steel. The metal can be shaped such that it fits around theledge formed in the housing 102. The support structure 252 can be bondedto the ledge using an adhesive, such as a PSA or an epoxy.

In one embodiment, a conductive tape can be used to ground the supportstructure 252 to the housing, such as a conductive tape placed over aportion of the housing and a portion of the support structure. Inanother embodiment, a conductive adhesive can be used to couple thesupport structure 252 to the housing 102 where the conductive adhesivemechanically attaches and grounds the support structure to the housing.In alternate embodiments, rather than using a separate support structure252 and logo insert 256, a single piece structure can be used, such as asingle piece of molded plastic.

After the logo is installed, a top layer on the interior of the housingcan be added. For instance, the top of the sheet of stainless steel canbe coated in some manner. In one embodiment, an electrophoreticdeposition process can be used to deposit the layer.

The logo stack-up 250 can be part of a fire enclosure associated withthe housing 102. The fire enclosure can be configured to contain anexothermic event that has occurred within an interior of the housing,such as an exothermic event associated with the batteries. The metalsupport structure 252 coupled to the logo insert 256 can help to containan internal exothermic event.

As described above, the support structure 252 and logo insert 256 can beformed as a single piece. In one embodiment, the single piece can beformed from a metal. The metal can be suitable for use as part of thefire enclosure. However, a cosmetic layer can be applied to a portion ofthe logo insert 256. In another embodiment, the single piece can beformed from a plastic material. If desired, to improve its fireresistance capabilities, a fire retardant film can be applied over thelogo insert 256 within the interior of the housing 102.

FIG. 9 shows a method 300 of forming a housing for a portable device. Inone embodiment, the housing can be formed from a single billet of metal,such as a billet of aluminum. In particular embodiments, the billet canbe provided as a rectangular sheet with a nominal thickness of about 11mm where during the machining process about 90% or more of the billet isremoved. After machining, the housing can be less than 1 cm thick.

In 302, the CNC cutting paths can be determined for removing materialthat allows the final housing shape to be formed. The machining pathscan be optimized to minimize the machining time and increase thethroughput. In 304, the billet can be machined to form an exterior shapefor the housing. As described above, in some embodiments, the exteriorshape can form a bottom of the device. Typically, the exterior shape andthe interior shape of the housing can be machined separately usingdifferent processes.

In 306, machining to form the interior shape of the housing can begin.The initial machining can involve removing bulk interior portions of thehousing within its center to form a somewhat rectangular shaped cavity.After the bulk machining is performed, in 308 finer machining can begin.For instance, a ledge can be formed around an outer top portion forsupporting a cover. The ledge can be formed undercutting into the sideof the billet using an appropriate machining tool, such as a bit with aright angle. The top ledge can be machined to include a surface forreceiving the trim bead (see 108).

The machining can involve guiding a tool over a particular path in3-dimensions. In one embodiment, local relative dimensions can beutilized to guide the path of a machining bit. The use of local relativedimensions can involve determining a path from a reference point on thehousing as the housing is being machined as opposed to an absoluteposition associated with a fixture or another non-local dimensionassociated with the housing. As an example, when undercuts are generatedinto the sidewalls, the local thickness dimensions of the sidewalls canbe used to determine a machining path for the cutting tools as opposedto a distance from the centerline of the housing so that a desiredsidewall thickness is maintained. This process can be repeated atdifferent locations on the housing as different cuts are generated. Forinstance, when machining a ledge for the logo where the housingthickness is relatively thin, a local thickness of the housing at thislocation can be used to guide the machining process. Using localrelative dimensions can reduce machining errors, which can be importantfor making sure that cuts, such as sidewall cuts, do not result in ahousing that is too thin a particular region.

In 312, interior attachment and/or alignment points can be formed.Interior attachment points can be formed as apertures in the housing. Insome embodiments, the apertures can be formed as a raised column or“boss” in the material of the housing. In other embodiments, a recesscan be formed in the housing that is configured to receive an additionalcomponent with an aperture, such as an aperture lined with metalthreads, that can serve as an attachment point. The additional componentcan be attached to the housing using an adhesive. The apertures can beconfigured to receive fasteners, such as screws. The attachment pointscan be used to secure components, such as but not limited to a displayassembly, speakers, a SIM tray mechanism and PCBs.

Alignment points can be a cavity, aperture or marking that can be usedduring the assembly process. For instance, the housing can include arecess configured to receive a portion of an alignment fixture. Thealignment fixture can be used to align a component by fitting a portionof the alignment fixture into a recess in the housing and anotherportion into a recess in the component. The component can then be movedrelative to the housing until it is brought into alignment at whichpoint it can be secured. In one embodiment, a recess can be provided inthe housing and a recess can be provided in a display assembly that canbe used with an alignment fixture to align the display assembly relativeto the housing.

In 312, the machining can include removing excess material from thehousing. Excess material can be removed from various locations, such asunderneath the ledges formed in the housing to lighten the weight ofhousing. In 314, interior to exterior cut-outs can be formed in thehousing. For instance, openings can be formed for a data port, SIM cardtray, volume switch, a slide switch, power switch and audio jack. In oneembodiment, the openings can be formed by machining in a directionnormal to the shape of the exterior surface.

In one embodiment, a large number of small holes can be formed in thehousing to provide egress for sound generated by one or more internalspeakers. The holes can be formed by a hole-punching tool that punchesone or more holes at a time. In one embodiment, the holes can be punchedalong a curved side of the housing from the exterior to the interior ofthe housing. The holes can be punched over a surface where the curvatureis changing, such as a sidewall of the housing. A fixture can be used torotate the housing such that the holes can be punched proximately normalto the curvature of the exterior surface or to make a cut at some otherdesired angle.

In particular embodiments, brackets can be coupled to the housing tolocally increase the structural integrity of the housing. For instance,a bracket can be mounted near the data port opening on a side of thehousing. The data port opening is relatively large and the housing canbe thin where the data port is provided. The large opening can weakenthe housing. Thus, a support bracket can be added proximate to the dataport opening. The support brackets can be bonded to the housing using abonding agent, such as a liquid adhesive and can be grounded to thehousing. In various embodiment, metal brackets can be grounded to thehousing using a conductive foam or tape.

In another embodiment, support brackets can be added in corners of thehousing. The support brackets can add additional strength that improvesthe drop test performance of the housing. In one embodiment, the cornerbrackets can includes a castellation pattern to improve their strength.As previously described, a ledge can be formed around the housing tosupport a cover. Near the corners, it can be desirable to removematerial that forms the ledge in the corner region. The ledge materialcan be removed so that a mechanism can be installed in the corner. Forinstance, as described above with respect to FIG. 4, a SIM traymechanism is installed in one corner of the housing. After the mechanismis installed in a corner where the ledge has been removed, a cornerbracket can be attached to form a ledge that lines up with ledges formedon other portions of the housing. The trim bead and then the cover canbe attached in the corner using the ledge formed by the corner bracket.

In 318, an RF antenna window can be added to the housing. The RF antennawindow can be formed from a radio transparent material, such as aplastic. The antenna carrier can be placed close to an edge of thehousing. It can be shaped such that it forms a portion of a continuousexterior portion of the housing. The RF antenna window can be used tomount one or more antenna for receiving wireless data, such as datareceived from a cellular data network. In 320, additional components,such as the batteries, main logic board, display assembly, trim bead andcover can be attached to the housing until a final assemblyconfiguration is achieved.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an arrangement 900 of functional modulesutilized by an electronic device. The electronic device can, forexample, be tablet device 100. The arrangement 900 includes anelectronic device 902 that is able to output media for a user of theportable media device but also store and retrieve data with respect todata storage 904. The arrangement 900 also includes a graphical userinterface (GUI) manager 906. The GUI manager 906 operates to controlinformation being provided to and displayed on a display device. Thearrangement 900 also includes a communication module 908 thatfacilitates communication between the portable media device and anaccessory device. Still further, the arrangement 900 includes anaccessory manager 910 that operates to authenticate and acquire datafrom an accessory device that can be coupled to the portable mediadevice.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a electronic device 950 suitable for usewith the described embodiments. The electronic device 950 illustratescircuitry of a representative portable media device. The electronicdevice 950 can include a processor 952 that pertains to a microprocessoror controller for controlling the overall operation of the electronicdevice 950. The electronic device 950 can be configured to store mediadata pertaining to media items in a file system 954 and a cache 956. Thefile system 954 can be implemented using a memory device, such as astorage disk, a plurality of disks or solid-state memory, such as flashmemory.

The file system 954 typically can be configured to provide high capacitystorage capability for the electronic device 950. However, to improvethe access time to the file system 954, the electronic device 950 canalso include a cache 956. As an example, the cache 956 can be aRandom-Access Memory (RAM) provided by semiconductor memory. Therelative access time to the cache 956, such as a RAM cache, can besubstantially shorter than for other memories, such as flash or diskmemory. The cache 956 and the file system 954 may be used in combinationbecause the cache 956 may not have the large storage capacity of thefile system 954 as well as non-volatile storage capabilities provided bythe memory device hosting the file system 954.

Another advantage of using a cache 956 in combination with the filesystem 954 is that the file system 954, when active, consumes more powerthan does the cache 956. The use of cache 956 may decrease the activetime of the file system 954 and hence reduce the overall power consumedby the electronic device. The power consumption is often a concern whenthe electronic device 950 is a portable media device that is powered bya battery 974.

The electronic device 950 can also include other types of memorydevices. For instance, the electronic device 950 can also include a RAM970 and a Read-Only Memory (ROM) 972. In particular embodiments, the ROM972 can store programs, utilities or processes to be executed in anon-volatile manner. The RAM 970 can be used to provide volatile datastorage, such as for the cache 956.

The electronic device 950 can include one or more user input devices,such as input 958 that allow a user of the electronic device 950 tointeract with the electronic device 950. The input devices, such as 958,can take a variety of forms, such as a button, keypad, dial, touchscreen, audio input interface, video/image capture input interface,input in the form of sensor data, etc. Still further, the electronicdevice 950 includes a display 960 (screen display) that can becontrolled by the processor 952 to display information to the user. Adata bus 966 can facilitate data transfer between at least the filesystem 954, the cache 956, the processor 952, and the CODEC 963.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 950 serves to store a pluralityof media items (e g., songs, podcasts, image files and video files,etc.) in the file system 954. The media items (media assets) can pertainto one or more different types of media content. In one embodiment, themedia items are audio tracks (e.g., songs, audio books, and podcasts).In another embodiment, the media items are images (e.g., photos).However, in other embodiments, the media items can be any combination ofaudio, graphical or video content.

When a user desires to have the electronic device play a particularmedia item, a list of available media items is displayed on the display960. Then, using the one or more user input devices, such as 958, a usercan select one of the available media items. The processor 952, uponreceiving a selection of a particular media item, supplies the mediadata (e.g., audio file) for the particular media item to one or morecoder/decoders (CODEC), such as 963. The CODECs, such as 963, can beconfigured to produce output signals for an output device, such asspeaker 964 or display 960. The speaker 964 can be a speaker internal tothe media player 950 or external to the electronic device 950. Forexample, headphones or earphones that connect to the electronic device950 would be considered an external speaker.

The electronic device 950 can be configured to execute a number ofapplications besides media playback applications. For instance, theelectronic device 950 can be configured execute communicationapplications, such as voice, text, e-mail or video conferencingapplications, gaming applications, web browsing applications as well asmany other different types of applications. A user can select one ormore applications for execution on the electronic device 950 using theinput devices, such as 958.

The electronic device 950 can include an interface 961 that couples to adata link 962. The data link 962 allows the electronic device 950 tocouple to a host computer or to accessory devices. The data link 962 canbe provided over a wired connection or a wireless connection. In thecase of a wireless connection, the interface 961 can include a wirelesstransceiver. Sensor 976 can take the form of circuitry for detecting anynumber of stimuli. For example, sensor 976 can include a Hall Effectsensor responsive to external magnetic field, an audio sensor, a lightsensor such as a photometer, a gyroscope, and so on.

The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of thedescribed embodiments can be used separately or in any combination.Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented bysoftware, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. Thedescribed embodiments can also be embodied as computer readable code ona computer readable medium for controlling manufacturing operations oras computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controllinga manufacturing line. The computer readable medium is any data storagedevice that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computersystem. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-onlymemory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, DVDs, magnetic tape, optical datastorage devices, and carrier waves. The computer readable medium canalso be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that thecomputer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specificdetails are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, theforegoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present inventionare presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art thatmany modifications and variations are possible in view of the aboveteachings.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and its practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention andvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of theinvention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

While the embodiments have been described in terms of several particularembodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, whichfall within the scope of these general concepts. It should also be notedthat there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods andapparatuses of the present embodiments. For example, although anextrusion process is preferred method of manufacturing the integraltube, it should be noted that this is not a limitation and that othermanufacturing methods can be used (e.g., injection molding). It istherefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted asincluding all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the described embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming a housing for an electronicdevice using a single billet of material comprising: machining thebillet to form an exterior surface of the housing, the exterior surfaceincluding a curved surface and a substantially flat bottom surface;machining the billet to form an interior cavity, a portion of the billetthat defines the interior cavity being substantially flat and parallelto the substantially flat bottom surface; machining the billet to forminterior sidewalls including ledges that extend from the interiorsidewalls, the ledges including a surface, approximately parallel to theflat bottom surface, for receiving a cover; and forming an openingextending through the interior sidewall to the curved surface, theopening configured pass sound generated by an internal audio element. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising: machining the billet to formsupport shelves for attaching corner brackets to the housing; andbonding and electrically grounding the corner brackets to the housing,wherein the corner brackets include a surface for receiving a cornerportion of the trim bead and the cover, the surface aligned with and atapproximately same height as the surface on the ledges.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein the corner brackets include a castellation pattern. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein a width of the ledges varies around aperimeter of the interior cavity.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: removing a portion of the ledges to allow a component to beinstalled proximate to the interior sidewalls in the interior cavity. 6.The method of claim 5, wherein the component is a switch with acontrolling portion extending through an opening in the interiorsidewall to allow access to the controlling portion from the exteriorsurface of the housing.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining computer numerical control cutting paths for at one of themachining operations.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said operationof determining computer numerical control cutting paths for at one ofthe machining operations utilizes local relative dimensions.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said operation of machining the billet toform interior sidewalls including ledges that extend from the interiorsidewalls further comprises utilizing a local thickness of the interiorsidewalls to determine a machining path.
 10. The method of claim 1,further comprising at least one interior attachment or alignment point.11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one interior attachmentor alignment point comprises at least one aperture.
 12. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the at least one interior attachment or alignmentpoint comprises at least one raised column.
 13. The method of claim 10,wherein the at least one interior attachment or alignment point isconfigured to receive at least one fastener.
 14. The method of claim 1,further comprising removing excess material from the billet.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, wherein the excess material is removed fromunderneath at least one of the ledges.
 16. The method of claim 1,wherein the opening is formed by machining into the curved surfaceportion in a direct proximately normal to the surface.
 17. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising removing at least a portion of a cornerregion of at least one of the ledges.
 18. A method of machining a singlebillet of material to form a housing for an electronic device,comprising: shaping an exterior surface of the billet to include acurved surface and an integral bottom surface; removing material fromthe billet to form an interior cavity, a portion of the billet thatdefines the interior cavity includes a flat portion parallel to thebottom surface; forming ledges that are configured to receive a trimbead and a cover, extend from interior sidewalls surrounding theinterior cavity, and are parallel to the flat portion; and forming anopening in the curved surface to allow sound generated by an internalspeaker to exit through the housing.
 19. The method of claim 18, whereinthe opening in the curved surface is formed by cutting a hole.
 20. Themethod of claim 18, further comprising forming an interior to exteriorcut-out in the billet.
 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the openingin the curved surface is formed by machining in a direct proximatelynormal to a surface of the ledges.